News

Finland Secures €10.7 million Package for Milk Producers

23 December 2014

FINLAND - The European Commission has adopted a €10.7 million support package for milk producers in Finland, as indicated last week. This new package is the latest in a series adopted by the European Commission in response to the Russian ban on the importation of certain EU agricultural products.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, said: "I am very conscious of the significant impact that the Russian ban has had on dairy producers in Finland given their exposure to the Russian market and the drop in prices. Finland is the Member State with the highest share of milk production exported in the form of dairy products to Russia. Now that the latest information received from the Finnish authorities allowed us to gauge the impact of the Russian ban on milk prices in Finland, I am pleased that the Commission can provide support in the form of a financial envelope for Finland, as was done earlier for the three Baltic States."

The amount of support being provided to Finland is €10.7m, based on its 2013/2014 milk production level within the national quota. The Finnish government will also be authorised to top up the aid to producers on an objective and non–discriminatory basis.